Meditations in Joshua
Joshua 6:1-2 – “Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.”
Joshua and the children of Israel did not acquire victory over the city of Jericho through their own ability or ingenuity. Rather, they acquired victory over the city of Jericho only through the power of the Lord their God. The Lord’s favor was upon them, and the Lord’s power granted the victory. Yet there were a number of prerequisites that the Lord required of them before He would grant the victory. These prerequisites are revealed in the earlier chapters of Joshua. In like manner, we ourselves can only find victory in the spiritual battles of our daily lives through the favor and power of the Lord our God. Yet again, there are a number of prerequisites that the Lord our God requires for us to fulfill in order that He might grant us His favor and power for victory.
Joshua 6:1-2 – “Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.”
Joshua and the children of Israel did not acquire victory over the city of Jericho through their own ability or ingenuity. Rather, they acquired victory over the city of Jericho only through the power of the Lord their God. The Lord’s favor was upon them, and the Lord’s power granted the victory. Yet there were a number of prerequisites that the Lord required of them before He would grant the victory. These prerequisites are revealed in the earlier chapters of Joshua. In like manner, we ourselves can only find victory in the spiritual battles of our daily lives through the favor and power of the Lord our God. Yet again, there are a number of prerequisites that the Lord our God requires for us to fulfill in order that He might grant us His favor and power for victory.
I. A Studious Meditation
Joshua 1:8 – “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day
and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make
thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”
A. A Daily Meditation – “day and night”
B. A Deep Meditation – “meditate therein”
C. A Diligent Meditation – “mayest observe”
D. A Dedicated Meditation – “shall not depart”
E. A Directed Meditation – “observe to do all”
II. A Settled Faith
Joshua 1:6-7, 9 – “Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an
inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very
courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest . . . . Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou
dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
A. A Faith that is in the Lord our God – “for the LORD they God is with thee”
B. A Faith that fills with spiritual courage – “Be strong and of a good courage”
C. A Faith that moves to faithful obedience – “that thou mayest observe to do”
III. A Sanctified Heart
Joshua 3:5 – “And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do
wonders among you.”
Joshua 5:2 – “At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again
the children of Israel the second time.”
Joshua 5:8-9 – “And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode
in their places in the camp, till they were whole. And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled
away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this
day.”
A. To Remove the Bondage of Sin (the bondage of Egypt rolled off)
B. To Remove the Corruption of Sin (the corruption of Egypt rolled off)
IV. A Submissive Obedience
A. To the Authority of the Lord
Joshua 5:13-15 – “And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and
looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went
unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of
the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and
said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? And the captain of the LORD’S host said unto
Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.”
B. To the Word of the Lord
Joshua 1:7 – “Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to
all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left,
that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.”
C. To the Leading of the Lord
Joshua 3:1-4, 18 – “And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to
Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. And it came to pass
after three days, that the officers went through the host; and they commanded the people, saying, When
ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall
remove from your place, and go after it. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two
thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for
ye have not passed this way heretofore . . . . And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of
the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan.”
Joshua 6:1-5 – “Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and
none came in. And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king
thereof, and the mighty men of valour. And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round
about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven
trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests
shall blow with the trumpets. And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram’s
horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the
wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.”
Joshua 6:18-19 – “And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make your-
selves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.
But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come
into the treasury of the LORD.”
Posted in Meditations in Joshua, Spiritual Warfare, Godly Mediation, Trust in God, Repentance of Sin,
Obedience to the Lord
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